Nigeria’s minister of state, petroleum resources, Timipre Sylva, has called on Nigerians to be happy and proud that Africa’s biggest oil state is about to resume petroleum products importation from neighbouring Niger Republic.
Sylva said contrary to criticism from some quarters against the memorandum of understanding signed by Nigeria and Niger, the plan by Nigeria to resume fuel importation from its West African brother should not be seen as ‘an embarrassment’ but rather as a means of encouraging intra-regional trade.
The Niger Republic’s Soraz Refinery in Zinder, which is located some 260km from the Nigerian border, has an installed refining capacity of 20,000 barrels per day. The move by the federal government attracted steaming criticisms with many knocking the government over its inability to keep the country’s refineries running.
But reacting on Monday evening while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, the minister said Nigeria is a big market that needs excess fuel products processed in other countries.
SOURCE: energyreview.com
